Return of the Prodigal Son
03/06/10 07:53 Filed in: Forgiveness
At different times and in different ways, we have all played the role of the prodigal son. We have acted immaturely, impulsively and selfishly. We have squandered opportunities and distanced ourselves from God. But today’s Gospel reminds us we can always return home to a loving and merciful father who stands ready to forgive and forget.
“But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found . . .” (Luke 15: 1-3; 11-32)
The parable of the prodigal son is the third story in a trilogy dealing with repentance and forgiveness. Jesus set it up by telling the parable of the the lost sheep (“there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth”) and the lost coin (“there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents”). In the tale of the prodigal son, Jesus adds a level of complexity that expands our understanding of God’s awesome compassion and mercy.
First, Jesus has the prodigal son demand his inheritance – now, while his father is still alive! In the patriarchal society of Judea that was a severe breach of filial duty. It was as if the son had said to his father, “I will no longer obey you. In fact, I wish you were dead!” Yet, his father granted his son’s request. He gave him the freedom and the means to pursue his dreams. It was up to the son to live in accordance with what he had learned at his father’s knee.
Second, the prodigal son became a slave to sin, but he did not immediately recognize the error of his ways. He was too proud to admit that he had squandered his estate and remained in a distant land until his haughty, rebellious spirit had been broken. Alone and forsaken, destitute and depressed, he survived on scraps of food until, finally, he was brought so low that he had to return home and beg for forgiveness.
Third, his father recognized him from afar and ran to meet him with outstretched srms. Before the son could even beg for forgiveness, the father embraced and kissed him.
Fourth, the father did not rebuke or punish his son for his “riotous living.” Instead, he accepted his son’s act of contrition and told his servants to “bring forth quickly the best robe . . . put a ring on his finger . . shoes on his feet.” Each of those items were symbols of the son’s immediate return to a place of honor in the household.
Fifth, the elder son, like the self-righteous Pharisees, felt that he alone had earned a place of honor next to his father. He objected to killing the fatted calf and refused to enter the celebration. Here again, the father came out to his son, this time to remind him that his loyalty had already been amply rewarded because “all that is mine is thine.” The father’s love for both sons was unconditional.
At different times and in different ways, we have all played the role of the prodigal son. We have acted immaturely, impulsively and selfishly. We have squandered opportunities and distanced ourselves from God. But today’s Gospel reminds us we can always return home to a loving and merciful father who stands ready to forgive and forget.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”
The parable of the prodigal son is the third story in a trilogy dealing with repentance and forgiveness. Jesus set it up by telling the parable of the the lost sheep (“there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth”) and the lost coin (“there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents”). In the tale of the prodigal son, Jesus adds a level of complexity that expands our understanding of God’s awesome compassion and mercy.
First, Jesus has the prodigal son demand his inheritance – now, while his father is still alive! In the patriarchal society of Judea that was a severe breach of filial duty. It was as if the son had said to his father, “I will no longer obey you. In fact, I wish you were dead!” Yet, his father granted his son’s request. He gave him the freedom and the means to pursue his dreams. It was up to the son to live in accordance with what he had learned at his father’s knee.
Second, the prodigal son became a slave to sin, but he did not immediately recognize the error of his ways. He was too proud to admit that he had squandered his estate and remained in a distant land until his haughty, rebellious spirit had been broken. Alone and forsaken, destitute and depressed, he survived on scraps of food until, finally, he was brought so low that he had to return home and beg for forgiveness.
Third, his father recognized him from afar and ran to meet him with outstretched srms. Before the son could even beg for forgiveness, the father embraced and kissed him.
Fourth, the father did not rebuke or punish his son for his “riotous living.” Instead, he accepted his son’s act of contrition and told his servants to “bring forth quickly the best robe . . . put a ring on his finger . . shoes on his feet.” Each of those items were symbols of the son’s immediate return to a place of honor in the household.
Fifth, the elder son, like the self-righteous Pharisees, felt that he alone had earned a place of honor next to his father. He objected to killing the fatted calf and refused to enter the celebration. Here again, the father came out to his son, this time to remind him that his loyalty had already been amply rewarded because “all that is mine is thine.” The father’s love for both sons was unconditional.
At different times and in different ways, we have all played the role of the prodigal son. We have acted immaturely, impulsively and selfishly. We have squandered opportunities and distanced ourselves from God. But today’s Gospel reminds us we can always return home to a loving and merciful father who stands ready to forgive and forget.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”
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